We acknowledge and thank the W̱SÁNEĆ people on whose traditional territory we live, learn, and teach.

Graduation Requirements

The 2023 Graduation Program under 19 years old.

You will need 80 credits to graduate on the 2023 Grad program.

There are 52 credits, of the 80 credits, that come from required courses that you must take in Grades 10, 11 and 12.

  • In Grade 10, you must take: English 10, Math 10, Science 10, Social Studies 10, Physical and Health Education 10 and Career Life Education 10.
  • In Grade 11, you must take: English 11, Math 11, Science 11 or 12, and Social Studies 11 or 12.
  • In Grade 12, you must take: English 12, Career Life Connections 12 A & B, and 3 other courses at the Grade 12 level.
  • You must also complete one 4-credit course that is an Arts Education and/or an Applied Design, Skills and Technologies course at the Grade 10, 11 OR 12 level.
  • You must also complete one 4-credit course that is Indigenous focused at the Grade 10, 11 OR 12 level. 

The remaining 28 credits will come from the other electives you take to give you a minimum total of 80 credits. These electives can be an academic course such as Chemistry 11 or a non-academic course such as Drama 10. 

Finally, as part of the 2018 Grad program, you will also need to complete three government assessments in order to graduate: Grade 10 Literacy Assessment, Grade 10 Numeracy Assessment and Grade 12 Literacy assessment. For more information, please go to https://www.sides.ca/grades-9-12/grad-assessment.html

For information and practice material about the assessments go to:

To find out about the different ways you can earn credits for graduation, please go to the Ministry of Education site at https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/administration/legislation-policy/public-schools/earning-credit-through-equivalency-challenge-external-credentials-post-secondary-credit-and-independent-directed-studies

Adult Grad - Visit below
https://www.sides.ca/adult-learning/overview.html

If you have any questions, please contact a SIDES counsellor.

Course Selection

For a list of courses offered by SIDES and descriptions of each course, please see our Course Guide at https://www.sides.ca/en/courseguide.html

For the Arts Education and/or an Applied Design, Skills and Technologies you have a choice of Drama 10, Visual Arts: Media Arts 12 (Digital Photography) and Work Experience 12 A and Work Experience 12 B.

  • When reviewing your graduation plan, make sure you have any prerequisites you need for post-secondary education or training program.
  • Also keep in mind that if you are planning for direct entry into university after high school (i.e. not attending college first), you will need at least 4 "Academic Grade 12" Some universities require 5. For a list of Academic Grade 12 courses at UVic click here.

If you are a SIDES student, and have any questions about your graduation plan, please make an appointment with a SIDES counsellor so you can discuss your options and the courses required to achieve your goal.